Posts Tagged “kentucky wildcats”
Kentucky Makes Case for #1, Hammers Hogs 101-70
By: Guy | January 23rd, 2010 | Category: Cats
John Calipari has been begging for his team to step on an opponent’s throat when the ‘Cats get a lead. After staking themselves to a 30 point halftime lead, I think UK’s 14-0 spurt to start the second half qualifies. In fact, UK’s play in the first 26 minutes was as dominant as the ‘Cats have looked in SEC play in years.
They picked a good time to do it, because the nation was looking to crown a new #1 after Texas lost to Kansas State this week (and just lost again to Connecticut). UK stepped into the void and now could easily be the first unanimously top ranked team this season.
As fun as it was to watch UK’s balanced offensive attack, it was its defensive attack (and today, it was an attack) that made this game a laugher from the very beginning. Coming, we talked a lot about Arkansas’ offensive weapons. Rotnei Clarke has the ability to light it up from anywhere, Courtney Fortson can get pretty much anywhere he wants with the ball, and Michael Washington and Marshawn Powell form one of the more dangerous post duos in the conference.
UK, though, looked well rested and well prepared to deal with the Razorbacks. In the first half, the UK defense nearly matched the Arkansas offense block for made field goal. UK had seven of its nine blocks in the first half and Arkansas made just 9-39 first half shots. Rotnei Clarke had just 2 points on 1-6 shooting and Powell had just 3 points. Fortson and Washington tried to do it themselves, scoring 22 of Arkansas’ 27 points, but it was far from enough.
11 of UK’s 13 players saw the floor in the first half, and 10 of the 11 scored. John Calipari used that wave of able bodies to throw at Arkansas’ stars. Courtney Fortson was guarded by John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, and DeAndre Liggins in the first half. Rotnei Clark had to deal with Wall, Bledsoe, and Darius Miller. Arkansas’ big guys had to go up against Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Perry Stevenson, and Josh Harrellson.
I’d like to specifically mention the efforts of Liggins and Orton. The two only played 11 minutes between them, but they played every second with reckless abandon, flying around the court and terrorizing whomever they guarded. Liggins hit the floor at least four times in the first half, while Orton registered three blocks and a steal. Liggins and Orton aren’t going to be 25 minute per game guys this season, but if they can provide the kind of defensive spark that they did in the first half the rest of this season, UK will be tough to contend with.
The only black mark, if you can even call it that, on UK’s performance tonight was the lull in their play from about the 14 minute mark in the second half up until about eight minutes left when UK’s lead was cut to 31. DeMarcus Cousins quickly had four straight points, including a tip in and a beautiful take to the basket and finish.
Big Cuz has had better statistical performances than this afternoon (16 points and 14 boards), but I’m not sure he’s ever flashed more potential than he did today. He had a couple stunning post moves and finishes, he dominated the glass when he was in, and played pretty good defense. Besides, he took a nasty blow to the face which had him looking more like a Montreal Canadien than a Kentucky Wildcat.
As much as Cousins had NBA scouts salivating, he’s still no John Wall. Wall had had a bit of a rough time over the past few games, but looked every bit of the #1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft today. He had 16 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks against only 2 turnovers, looking completely in control. He was also an impact defensive player. He could have easily gone for 25 if some of his shots had gone down (including one ridiculous spinning layup that was the play of the game even though he missed it) and could have easily gone for 35 if he wanted to, but this was John Wall’s game for the 26 minutes he was in.
His backcourt counterpart, Eric Bledsoe, has been hearing lots of talk himself about his NBA future, with ESPN Draft Insider Chad Ford calling him a top 20 pick and Bill Simmons countering by calling him this year’s Russell Westbrook and a top six pick. Bledsoe showed why, scoring 10 points to go with 7 boards and 6 assists. However, he also showed why another year at UK may just do him some good. He got caught trying to do a bit too much on multiple occasions, turning it over six times.
Another star today was Darius Miller. He has had his ups and downs this season, but this was an up day. He was aggressive throughout and was rewarded with a career high in scoring. He led the ‘Cats with 18 on 7-9 shooting and 4-6 from behind the arc, and also pitched in with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
The one guy to get lost in the shuffle a bit was Patrick Patterson. Patterson just couldn’t get his shot to fall today, shooting only 2-9, and was the only starter not to reach double figures.
Regardless, the Kentucky Wildcats were an absolute buzzsaw today. As John Calipari said, “If we played anybody in the country the way we played today, they are going to get smashed.” It’s a fitting performance for a team that is about to become #1 in the country, and it is probably the most UK has looked like the best in the NCAA all season.
Some DeAndre Liggins Thoughts and UK by the Numbers – 1/18
By: Guy | January 18th, 2010 | Category: CatsUgh. Another week long break between ‘Cats games. UK has a few extra days to prepare for Arkansas on Saturday after three tight games to start SEC play.
The break started today with the “Hoops for Haiti” telethon, which has eclipsed the $1,000,000 mark in funds raised with caller donations and matched funds. Cal has been unafraid of using his platform as UK basketball coach for a variety of purposes over the past eights, but this has to be the most worthy cause yet. Let’s just hope now that the money is used as effectively as possible for those who need it most. Here’s some video of the Three Amigos hanging out with a baby at the telethon today:
Before we get into my weekly look at UK by the Numbers, I have a few thoughts on UK sophomore swingman DeAndre Liggins, who was a key factor in the close win over Auburn. I think I speak for all UK when I say that I couldn’t be happier about his emergence.
Liggins’ started out as the first recruit that was Billy Gillispie’s alone. Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion committed to UK under Gillispie before Liggins, but Patterson was recruited for a long time by Tubby Smith and we all know how the Legion-UK marriage ended up. During the summer of 2007, Liggins announced his UK pledge, convincing us that we had returned to center stage of the recruiting world. Immediately, he became the future at point guard.
When he stepped on campus in 2008, we immediately became excited about his potential, but it was clear that he was a work in progress. Unfortunately, UK was in a position where they needed him to become the guy at point guard right away if the 2008-2009 was going to be any good at all.
UK’s trip to Las Vegas set the tone for the season. He played just two minutes in the first game against Kansas State, but UK miraculously pulled out a win. In that game, Liggins famously refused to reenter the game when Gillispie called his name. Normally, that kind of thing is a death knell for a player, but he was so desperately needed that Gillispie turned to him the next night, playing him 27 minutes against West Virginia. Liggins was largely responsible for UK winning that game.
"Do I really have listen to this dude?"
DeAndre played a bunch the next eight games, but he just didn’t quite fit the mold of point guard in a season where UK was probably a serviceable point guard away from being a pretty solid team. His minutes fluctuated and his turnovers ballooned and we were constantly frustrated by how he was used. In fact, it was many of Billy Gillispie’s decisions regarding Liggins that began to raise red flags about our ex-coach.
When he barely played down the stretch, we pretty much assumed that he was gone if Gillispie stayed. Really, it was a wonder he made it through his freshman year. When John Calipari came to UK, no one was sure he would stick around. We wondered about his grades and we wondered whether he would fit the dribble drive, but Liggins again survived, even garnering praise as “the most improved player” on UK as the season approached. We knew he wasn’t going to play point guard, but beyond that, we weren’t sure what his role was going to be.
Then, he didn’t even make cameo appearances in UK’s opening games. Speculation swirled. Was he in academic trouble? Was he in NCAA trouble? Had he failed a drug test? Would he be transferring at the end of the semester?
Then, Liggins got in during garbage time at IU. He was back. Then, he got in against Austin Peay while the outcome was still in doubt. The ovation he received upon entered the game was among the loudest of the season. Even now, eight games later, UK fans still shower him with cheers when he enters the game for the first time. As a matter of fact, I would argue that Liggins is the fan favorite of all ‘Cats not named Wall, Patterson, or Cousins.
DeAndre Liggins has been a survivor his entire life. He overcame an impossibly tough background to land a basketball scholarship at one of the top programs in the country. Things were difficult in another way once he arrived in Lexington. He played for a coach that could not find a way to relate to him or get across to him. Before Billy G’s fall from grace, we probably blamed that on DeAndre. However, as we found out about the way Billy Gillispie coached his team, I think we all began to sympathize with the players, Liggins in particular.
The way he survived “tryouts” under Calipari and was suspended to start the season only strengthened that underdog identity that we all came to support in Liggins. Now that DeAndre is not only playing consistently strong minutes, but also doing all the dirty work it takes to get those minutes (defense, rebounding, fitting in the offense), I don’t think we could be any happier for him. It’s hard to know what the future holds for Liggins, but he has a lot to proud for what he has accomplished to this point.
Individual Stats
John Wall – 6.9 assists per game (3rd nationally)
2.1 steals per game (t-52nd nationally)
Patrick Patterson – 63.0% field goal shooting (13th nationally)
DeMarcus Cousins – 9.3 rebounds per game (t-41st nationally)
1.8 blocks per game (t-79th nationally)
RPI
With the wins over Florida and Auburn, UK has now broken into the top ten of the RPI at #10, up from 13th last Sunday. The ‘Cats next opponent, Arkansas, has the worst RPI of any team left on the schdule, so UK’s strength of schedule, which currently sits at 108th, should only be going up after next weekend. That’s good because UK is currently behind most of the other #1 seed contenders in the RPI (Syracuse, Kansas, Texas, Villanova).
Ken Pomeroy
UK had a pretty good offensive week, moving up to 11th in the nation in offensive efficiency in KenPom’s rankings, but a rough week on defense, falling to 38th. The net result was a slight move up, from 14th to 12th. Among teams in the top 18, UK has the worst rating for defensive efficiency.
I really believe that UK has it in them to be an elite defensive team. You have seen it in stretches in some of UK’s big games, when they absolutely suffocate teams. However, those periods seem to always be counterbalanced by stretches when UK just doens’t close on shooters like they need to and allows lanes to the basket. We’ve heard a lot about how UK hasn’t been the kind of team that steps on teams’ throats when they get a lead, and I believe defense is where those lapses happen.
UK Survives Terrible Second Half, Beats Auburn 72-67
By: Guy | January 16th, 2010 | Category: Cats
UK fans, I would go ahead and brace yourselves for a next couple days filled with questions about “How good is UK really?” ‘Microanalysis’ is my word for the way that sports analysts shape their opinions almost entirely based on what just happened and then figure out a way to justify their opinions.
Can’t you picture some national hit seeking writers seeing the score of the UK-Auburn, reading the AP recap, thinking “Hey, didn’t they just barely beat Georgia this week?”, then deciding that UK is overrated. They’ll cobble together an argument about how UK has narrowly beaten a bunch of mediocre opponents this season and talk about how UK’s best wins (UNC and UConn) really haven’t turned out to be that impressive.
There will be some validity to what they’re saying. UK will need to continue to improve this season in order to live up to the hype, but they will be unfairly discounting everything that this precocious team has accomplished.
Anyway, enough about that. Let’s talk about what happened today down in Auburn.
UK started out well enough, repeatedly getting to the foul line and repeatedly getting the ball to Patrick Patterson. They staked themselves to an early 19 point lead, before allowing Auburn to but the lead to 13 with two threes right before halftime.
I figured that UK’s pre-halftime lull was going to be short lived, but they played basically the entire second half the exact same way. Eric Bledsoe and John Wall repeatedly overpenetrated and the team as a whole just quit getting the ball to Patrick Patterson.
After decent first halves, Wall and Bledsoe ended up with a total of ten turnovers between them, Wall accounting for seven in what may have been his worst college game. Wall just never found a rhythm against Auburn’s backcourt.
Patrick Patterson was the man for UK in the first half, scoring 12 points. I don’t think he got up a shot in the second. Part of that can be attributed to DeMarcus Cousins’ strong play (16 points, 11 boards) and part of it can be blamed on not getting him the ball, but I guarantee you that John Calipari is going to make the point to Patterson that he has to demand the ball, particularly when teams are making runs like Auburn was in the second.
Fortunately, UK was able to do just enough. The game was tied late, but the ‘Cats were again able to step up when they needed to. DeAndre Liggins hit a big three and a big layup, as well as getting the game sealing rebound and playing probably the best clutch defense on the team. DeMarcus Cousins scored in the post and hit his free throws. And of course, John Wall closed things down, scoring UK’s last four point on a ridiculous split of a double team and layup and the two free throws that removed any drama.
So other than not getting the ball to Patterson and iffy play by Bledsoe and Wall, why did UK play so poorly in the second half against the team I believe to be the worst in the conference? I think complacency is the key word. UK built a lead because they just kept getting sent to the free throw line and because Auburn slowed it down in their half court offense so much that the Tigers couldn’t consistently get anything going.
In the second half, Jeff Lebo’s squad eschewed that approach and just played. UK was happy with its lead and wasn’t ready to play with them. Auburn started hitting some shots, which built confidence, and UK kept turning it over. Eventually, the Tigers were convinced they could score on UK, and they kept doing it. They shot 16-29 from the field after a putrid 9-31 performance in the first half, and most of the damage was done around the basket. UK had seven blocks on the game, but in the second half they couldn’t protect their own basket.
This game doesn’t really tell us anything new, but it reinforces in my mind that UK has a lot of progress to make in terms of consistency, both on a player by player basis and as a team. There’s no excuse for Patterson dominating the first half, then becoming a non-factor in the second. It’s also difficult to play a high level as a team when your best option at the three position changes every single time out. One game it’s Ramon Harris, the next it’s Liggins, then Dodson, then Miller, then Liggins again.
Even though UK could become number one on Monday if Texas loses to Texas A&M today (they are down in the second half), UK is a long way away from peaking.
Saturday’s UK-Auburn Game Sold Out
By: Guy | January 14th, 2010 | Category: Cats
UK travels to Alabama to play the Auburn Tigers at 4:00 on Saturday and tickets available to the public are completely sold out. Unless you sport an Auburn student ID, you’re out of luck if you want to attend.
This wouldn’t be worthy of any note whatsoever, but it just so happens that Auburn’s average attendance on the season so far is under 5,000. Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum holds over 10,000. In other words, Tiger basketball is not at the top of the list of things to do in the Loveliest Village on the Plains.
I think we can surmise that there are going to be more Auburn fans that usual in attendance…and probably almost as many UK fans to cheer on the unbeaten Wildcats. Keep an eye out for Nick’s preview of the game tomorrow.
Kentucky Mid-Season Progress Report
By: Guy | January 6th, 2010 | Category: CatsThank goodness, this is the last time we have to brave a week long break between UK games. Starting with the Georgia game on Saturday, the ‘Cats will have two games a week the rest of the way.
With that one week break leading up to the opening of SEC play, it’s a natural time to look back on the season so far, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do over the next two days. First up, I will be running down a progress report for each of the players on the UK roster complete with a look back at each of their seasons to this point and a look forward at the second half. Also, they will be getting grades, so get excited about that.
Tomorrow, I will have a similar look at each team in the SEC, along with my projections for order of finish based on their performance to this point.
Let’s get down to it:
The Starters
John Wall
33.5 mpg, 17.2 ppg, 7.3 apg, 3.8 rpg, 4,1 TO, 51.9% FG, 78.6% FT, 39.4% 3P
Other than that turnover number, it’s hard to pick a hole in John Wall’s season to this point, statistically or otherwise. To say Wall has lived up to the hype would be an injustice to the way he has played would be an injustice, which is literally unbelievable when you think about the way he was hyped.
Wall has been everything we expected in the numbers he has put up and the highlights he has produced, but for a freshman to step in, lead the way he has, and come up huge in every clutch situation he has faced all year, Wall is something truly special.
As UK moved into league play, Wall will have to deal with opponent after opponent gunning for him, but that’s no different from anything he has dealt with since he was a high schooler. Like I said, the one area for substantial improvement is turnovers. You don’t want to see Wall play any less agressively, but he needs to pick his spots. Wall has four or more turnovers in nine of his 14 career games.
However, you would have to consider any freshman that is a Sports Illustrated cover athlete halfway into his first season a success.
Grade – A
Patrick Patterson
31.3 mpg, 16.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 63% FG, 60% FT, 47.6% 3P
It’s been a very interesting start to the season for Patterson. The development of his outside shot has been something that has made him a significant amount of money. Patterson has also remained an extremely steady defensive and post scoring presence, even showing some nice moves away from the basket along the way.
His baskets this season have been markedly easier than in past year, thanks to playing with much improved talent, but with unbelieve board work from DeMarcus Cousins over the past two weeks, his rebounding has taken a bit of a downward turn. It really doesn’t concern me all that much though, because Patterson will pick up the slack if Cousins is ever in foul trouble.
Patterson’s free throw shooting has also been an interesting topic. He shot around 75% his first two years, but is down at 60% right now. What is that about? I still have to think he will return to his norm, but it’s certainly something to watch.
Through SEC play, Patterson needs to keep up the excellent work, and make sure he knows when to take over games, because there will be times when he needs to do so.
Grade – A-
Eric Bledsoe
28.4 mpg, 10.2 ppg, 3.1 apg, 2.6 rpg, 3.6 TO, 44.2% FG, 76.7% FT, 46.2% 3P
Eric Bledsoe has had maybe the toughest transition to make this season. Not only has he had to learn to play the college game in a new system, but he also had to play away from the ball for probably the first time ever. I would say he’s done pretty well.
Like Wall, turnovers have been an issue for Bledsoe. He has tried to do a bit too much pretty consistently, and will need to continue to improve in that area. Also, he will need to continue to be the threat from outside that has shown himself to be to continue to get the minutes he has.
Grade – B+
Darius Miller
25.2 mpg, 7.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 41.7% FG, 43.2% 3P
Darius is one of three players to have started all 15 games, but he’s the only one in any danger of losing his starting spot. Miller has shown flashes of the potential that playing in the dribble drive affords him, but his lack of confidence remains a major obstacle.
His disposition is such that he will defer to his teammates to a fault and shy away from any kind of conflict. That disposition is what caused John Calipari to only play him eight minutes against UofL, the first time he had played fewer than 17 all year. Miller has improved his outside shooting, but he gets lost on the floor way too often. By no means do I think that John Calipari is close to giving up on him, but if he can’t become just a bit more assertive, he’s going to see his minutes dissipate as the games get bigger.
Grade – C+
DeMarcus Cousins
19.2 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 54.1% FG, 63% FT
I’m not really sure we could have expected any more than Big Cuz has given us. Per minute, he is the best rebounder and scorer in the country and he has given excellent effort almost every minute on the floor.
There are a couple things he can do, though, to improve. First of all, continue to improve his conditioning and fouling habits so he can stay on the floor longer. Second, he needs to continue to work on the much publicized attitude. Every team from here on out is going to try to get under his skin, and he just cannot let it get to him. UK can play without him, but they aren’t the same team.
Grade – A-
(more…)
A Brief Farewell to Rich Brooks
By: Guy | January 4th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Today, a clearly conflicted Rich Brooks announced his retirement in a predictable way: with his signature wry sense of humor and class.
Just like his tenure at Oregon, Brooks’ time at Kentucky ends with a less than stellar record (39-46 and 16-39 in conference). However, Brooks leaves UK just as he left Oregon: with the program in the best shape in has been in recent history. Now, we can only hope that the ‘Cats take more steps forward under the next regime, which is exactly what Oregon has done.
Brooks took over a football program in Lexington that was in a bad, bad place. Brooks built things the right way. He didn’t compromise his integrity by going for a quick fix and he didn’t promise anything he couldn’t deliver. He made it clear that his first few years would be tough, and they were. Three years in, Brooks was embattled, but the administration made a decision to stick by their coach.
They were rewarded, and so too was the UK fanbase, even though we likely didn’t deserve it with the way we didn’t believe in Brooks.
The story of the last four years is well-known. Four bowl games, three bowl wins, 30 wins. No, it’s not exactly BCS bowl caliber, but it’s an achievement nonetheless, and the program is in a position where Brooks’ successor, Joker Phillips, can take it to the proverbial “next level”.
The relationship between us UK fans and Brooks has been a perpetually strange one. I believe that the rocky start has left some negative vibes below the surface, making us always expect a little more than we probably should.
I’ve never seen a fan base with such a bipolar attitude toward a coach. One game (see wins over UGA and Auburn this year), we are lauding him for being the savior of the program. The next game, we are wondering what’s keeping us from taking things to the next level. I can only hope that we can be more consistently positive with Joker Phillips.
Obviously, when we think back on Brooks’ tenure, we will remember the bowl wins, the LSU upsets, and the many close calls, but one thing I know I’m going to always remember is the way that this transition is taking place. From the second Phillips was named coach in waiting, Brooks has been constantly concerned about Joker and the transition, wanting to put him into a position to succeed.
In my opinion, the best bosses are the ones who want to help their employees become more successful than them. That is exactly what Brooks has always done. The retirement is taking place at point where the cupboard at the skill positions is as full as it has been since Woodson and company left campus and the schedule sets up better than it has since UK’s first recent bowl season.
Brooks understood that Joker Phillips would have work to do to win over fans, so he put down the whistle right before a season full of potential. Not only that, but Brooks will stick around Lexington to help with the program (and tend to his tomato crop) and continue to lobby for continued upgrades of UK facilities.
The University of Kentucky was lucky to have called such a classy, tenacious, honest, tough leader of the program. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out what we’re going to name after him.
Rich Brooks to Announce Future This Morning at 11 am
By: Guy | January 4th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Rich Brooks will be holding a press conference this morning at 11 am to announce whether he will return to the sidelines to coach one more year or will step down and allow Joker Phillips to hack the “in waiting” off of his title.
The decision took a few days longer than expected, and I think we can chalk that up to the fact that Brooks and AD Mitch Barnhart had conversations about his future and the different subjects that could cause Brooks to coach one more year.
At this point, if I were handicapping the thing, I would say he’s still likely to retire, but maybe a little lower than the 80% odds he gave us last Sunday after the Music City Bowl.
Stay tuned.
My Take on the Cousins Forearm and UK By the Numbers – 1/3
By: Guy | January 3rd, 2010 | Category: CatsIn my recap of UK’s win on Saturday over Louisville, I mentioned only in passing the exchange involving DeMarcus Cousins, Jared Swopshire, and Reginald Delk. Upon second thought, I think I probably owe you a little more than that, because it is a bigger deal to people than I realized.
First of all, let me say that DeMarcus Cousins’ elbow on Swopshire was a cheap shot. Was the elbow itself, if isolated, an “ejectable” offense? Absolutely. However, when you are evaluating a play like that, you have to look at it in context, so let’s do that.
The game opened with a level of intensity that I don’t think anyone was ready for, and it wasn’t the kind of positive intensity that brings the best out of two competitors going head to head. It was the kind of hostile intensity that can actually be dangerous.
Before the play we are talking about, there was already one verbal exchange that caused John Calipari to bench Eric Bledsoe. Then, there was the scrum that ended in an official review and three technical fouls. Here is some video of the incident from CBS.
At first, as Swopshire and Cousins jockeyed for the ball, it was good clean effort. Then, if you watch closely, you will see that Swopshire brings his knee up to give himself more leverage to get the ball from Cousins. By no means do I think it was intentional, but the knee makes contact with Cousins’ head. At that point, Cousins is above Swopshire, and as soon as he gets kneed, he drops forearm on Swopshire’s head and drives it through.
Let’s get this out of the way, DeMarcus’ assertion that he was “just going for the ball” is not true. However, it is my opinion that the officials called the exchange exactly as they should have. The elbow by Cousins was purely a reaction to being kneed in the head. You can easily tell this because he did it as soon as he was kneed and pulled up immediately once he was finished reacting. It wasn’t a premeditated haymaker or anything like that. It was a reaction to being hit in the head and deserved the unsportsmanlike technical that it drew.
Hopefully that will put this whole thing to bed, but I’m not optimistic about that.
Individual Stats
John Wall – 7.3 assists per game (2nd nationally)
2.4 steals per game (31st nationally)
Patrick Patterson – 63.0% field goal shooting (t-26th nationally)
DeMarcus Cousins – 9.6 rebounds per game (43rd nationally)
1.8 blocks per game (t-89th nationally)
RPI
Hartford was so terrible in the RPI that beating them knocked UK all the way down to number 23 in the RPI from number 11. However, the win over 54th ranked Louisville boosted UK, moving them back up to 14th nationally.
UK’s first four conference opponents are ranked 95th or higher in the RPI, so that ranking of 14th should remain pretty flat until the ‘Cats face some better opponents.
Ken Pomeroy
The ‘Cats continue to climb in KenPom’s rankings, up to 13th in the nation now. It was an interesting couple of performances for the ‘Cats this week. In the Hartford game, UK operated with impeccable efficiency with the ball, buoying their offensive efficiency. Against UofL, UK was suffocating when the Cards had the ball, buoying their defensive efficiency.
The result was that UK stayed pretty flat in the offensive rankings (16th), but moved up 13 spots to 37th nationally in defensive efficiency. Each week, UK is not only moving up according to KenPom, but also becoming more balanced.
‘Cats Win a Grinder: UK 71 UofL 62
By: Guy | January 2nd, 2010 | Category: CatsIf you were looking forward to watching this year’s installment of the Dream Game on ESPN Classic all week long, I would clear your schedule, because UK and UofL couldn’t quite translate remarkable intensity into comparable quality, as the ‘Cats managed to outlast the Cards, 71-62.
Before I get down to business, I need to take a quick break for a little patting of my own back. In my Top Five Things to Watch post from Friday evening, I was pretty darn close to nailing the final score with my prediction of 73-65.
Anyway, sorry for the digression.
Basically any time you hear John Calipari talk, he makes the point that it’s essential at this juncture in the season to learn from every experience. There are plenty of those from today.
It started even before the tip, with reported chest to chest jawing between the two teams in the tunnel. I’m not sure how the two teams can be allowed to be in the same tunnel as one another, but regardless, both squads were riled up to start the game, which is exactly what UofL wanted.
The resulting chippy start allowed the game to get in no sort of rhythm whatsoever. Eric Bledsoe got yanked by Cal within just a few second, DeMarcus Cousins got sucked into taking a cheap shot on Jared Swopshire that fortunately only got him an unsportsmanlike technical foul. Hopefully, Cousins and Bledsoe can learn from that.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Cousins and Bledsoe were able to collect themselves, which was quite fortunate, because UK does not win that game without those two. The Cards forced the ball out of John Wall’s hands, and Eric Bledsoe played within himself most of the way, finishing with 12 points despite the fact that outside shot wasn’t falling. Cousins was just a beast, playing 26 minutes, his second highest total of the year. He responded by scoring 18 points and grabbing every rebound that was anywhere near him (18 on the day). UK was outrebounded by one, and it would have been a LOT worse if not for Big Cuz, who has assured himself of a lifetime of hatred from UofL fans.
Also, the ‘Cats (and John Calipari) learned that they aren’t going to be able to run all over everybody. Even in games against UConn and UNC when the opponents worked hard to shut down the fast break, UK still managed to find open spaces in the open floor. Against an excellent Rick Pitino gameplan and excellent execution by the Cards, UK got almost nothing in what I call “semi-transition”.
Pitino made a point to take away the high outlet pass (where John Wall catches inbounds passes off of made field goals and outlets after rebounds already at half sprint), and they pretty much did it. By doing so, UofL was able to set up the press, when UK found out that they are very much a pressable team. UofL didn’t make enough shots (32.2%) to consistently set up the press, but when they did, UK made mistakes.
UK also learned that they can overcome almost anything (namely, John Wall doing almost nothing in the first half) by playing the kind of defense they did in the opening stanza. Yeah, UofL missed some shots, but UK played absolutely fantastic defense in holding them to 19 points, staking them to an eight point halftime lead.
UofL’s defense pretty much matched UK’s possession for possession in the first half. Like I said, they had a great gameplan and executed it to a ‘T’. UK also missed a bunch of shots that they typically hit (14.3% today compared with over 42% on the year).
You really have to credit UofL for their second half play as well. To overcome the brutal start from the field that they had and the 13 point deficit it created, and snag a 42-41 lead with just 9:51 left.
Then John Wall happened. It’s not anything that UK learned today, but when it comes down the stretch and UK needs a play, John Wall is going to make it. Think about it. He’s worn a UK uniform 15 times now, and he is five for five in big time clutch situations (Miami, Stanford, UConn, UNC, UofL). Even the best players have games where the big shot just doesn’t go for them, but to this point, John Wall has gotten it done every single time.
Against UofL, he reeled off six straight free throws the second that UofL took their only lead. Wall has played and will play much better games in a UK uniform, but when it comes time to make a big basket, it doesn’t really matter what Wall has done to that point, because he’s going to have the ball and he’s going to put himself in a position to make a play. Wall missed a couple free throws at the end, which will probably cause him to make a late night run to the gym tonight, but luckily the outcome was in hand by that point.
SEC play is coming up, with Georgia coming to town on Saturday. I’ll have a look at the SEC heading into conference play in the next couple days, so keep an eye out for that. 15-0 is really pretty amazing, so enjoy it ‘Cats fans, I know I will.
Cats Defeat Cards 71-62
By: Miller | January 2nd, 2010 | Category: Cards - CatsIt was a tough, and weird, game with the Cats coming out on top in the end. The game looked it would get out of hand early, but the Cards held tough and made a game of it. The Cats eventually gave up the lead, but turned it on and pulled ahead for good with around 8:00 left to play. Guy will be here in a bit with a full recap, as well as his take on DeMarcus Cousins, aka the Epitome of Class.
